Kudu.

While in Kruger, we did get to view quite a few real kudu-- but the one I was admiring the most was this well designed one on our National Park dishes.

Toucan.

I was hoping to have my first Mexico post up today, but I forgot to bring my camera usb-cable with me to Mexico. I'll try to be quick and get one up tomorrow after I return home. In the mean time, I'll offer a taste of the tropical style I'm enjoying here in Puerto Vallarta.

It's been interesting being back in a tropical clime, yet one where the sense of style is so vastly different from Southeast Asia. Browsing through the boutiques here, we've seen white cotton textiles embroidered with blocky animal shapes, wooden crosses covered in tiny silver milagros, and-- a personal favorite of mine-- massive over-the-top paintings of brightly colored toucans. Toucans are such awkward birds, that even when rendered gracefully, they come off looking a little clownish. The paintings are a little too baroque to go with our style, but I think the toucan prints above are a good compromise. The pared down scientific quality of the above prints might work well with our more understated tropical lifestyle.

Hair Saloon.

There is one feature of the Penang style landscape that I wanted to single out in particular-- the hair saloons! (No, not a typo as I thought when I saw the first sign). Georgetown's streets are dotted with these little beauty parlors, most decorated in pastel hues and mid-century decor. Air-conditioning was often the chief advertising agent. I never saw anyone emerge freshly coiffed, unfortunately-- but I can only imagine these shops specialize in modish flips and hi-so bouffants.

And, as an aside, I just wanted to share that I am counting down the days-- only ten left in Asia! Obviously, lots of sadness, things I know I'll miss, food I'll crave the instant I step on the flight, etc etc-- but right now I'm really looking forward to the change of scenery. Additionally, it'll be great being back in the US after almost a year and a half absence!

A sesame milk tea in Taichung.

The town of Taichung is famous in Taiwan for its impressive range of teahouses. Though the idea of a 'teahouse' tends to conjure images of paper lanterns, imperial interiors, and palm-sized cups, in Taichung, teahouses can be as modern or as traditional as you'd like. This is, after all, the city that gave the world bubble milk tea and pearl milk tea- thereby dropping Taiwan's median tea drinking age by at least twenty years. On a weekend visit to Taichung, we checked this out for ourselves at Teaworks, an attractively modern cafe.

Though the building was starkly modern, with angular columns lifting the glass-box interior above the earth, it contained thoughtful nods to classical Asian style. Frangipani trees blossomed around the exterior, stone Buddhas were tucked into niches in the wall, and plump red and gold koi fish swirled below the building's stilt-supported frame.

We took a table outside, where cleverly placed misters provided respite from the sultry afternoon heat. The kitchen prepared a number of small snacks, but the focus was of course on the tea. The menu offered an abundant range of brewed beverages, and had a list of milk teas that spilled from one page onto the next. After deliberating over milk teas flavored with taro and red bean, I selected a black sesame milk tea. It arrived on the table in a tall glass dripping in condensation, the creamy liquid capped in ground black sesame seeds.

Just One Touch.

Beauty parlor window in Ximending, Taipei.

Circus Sweets.

While browsing in Bangkok's Siam Square, I came across a small candy shop selling these unusual sweets. While the rather hard 'caramels' aren't particularly tasty, I rather liked the vintage animal illustrations that adorned their wrappers. They seem to be inspired by scenes from a circus- aside from the badger with a handkerchief, which has left me rather puzzled.

Primitive Ilustrations: Monsters of the Mekong.

Fairly soon after I moved to Bangkok, I bought a set of watercolor paints with the idea to work on a few illustrations about the places and creatures that I encountered while exploring Southeast Asia. Finally, after living here for nearly ten months, I completed my first one. And whether it was having just finished reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, or the influence of Jess Gonacha of Treasuring - this painting ended up being all about fish.

Tropical rivers have always held a fascination for me, and few regions are as defined by their waterways as Southeast Asia. There's the muddy, empire strewn Chao Phraya; the life giving Tonle Sap; and of course, the monstrous, epic Mekong. Part of what makes these waterways so mysterious is the strange creatures that it conceals.

So, in simple stylized forms, I depicted some of my favorite aquatic creatures. In a style inspired by scientific murals (like the one at the Maputo Natural History Museum, pictured above) and the 'Freshwater Fish of Thailand' chart that I had in my classroom, I set them out to display their bizarre forms and shapes. The star of the piece is of course the star of the river itself, the Giant Mekong Catfish.

Penguin Popular Classics.

Though most of the reading material I pick up in Bangkok comes from used bookstores, these cheap editions of Penguin Popular Classics have given me reason to buy new. Aside from the fact that they're a very affordable 100 baht (about $3US), I'm really taken by their simple, classic aesthetics, from the uncoated apple-green covers to the iconic 2 pound price tag printed in the corner. And for the literary traveler, there are a number of adventure titles, with works by Kipling, Melville, Verne, and Conrad.

The dapper old gents of Hanoi.

With its tree-lined avenues and elegant architecture, Hanoi undoubtedly has a certain sophistication. That charm is defined by the nattily dressed older gentlemen that stroll Hanoi's lakes, and sip coffee in its sidewalk cafes. Even as they advance in years, the remain undeniably sharp in gray fedoras, black berets, and tweed coats.

View of Lion's Head #5.

And while I'm on the subject of things I love about Cape Town...

South Africa has an amazing collection of ugly architecture. Some of my favorite examples of this are the kitsch brick apartment-blocks that sit below Lion's Head, crowding against the promenade in Sea Point.

I'm say stop global warming.

Last week, I picked up three handmade postcards being sold by the students of my school. Apparently designed to promote several environmental messages, they had a charmingly simple, graphic style. The first was a cute drawing of an elephant, accented with plastic butterflies.

The second was a sweet misquoting of the "I am not a plastic bag" purse, which is currently one of the hottest knock-off bag designs in Bangkok.

And this one, of course, had obvious appeal.

Painted Stork.

Back in July, Bordeaux and I visited the Chiang Mai zoo, mainly so that I could see the beautiful Mekong Giant Catfish. While there were a few odd elements- a confusing layout and an abundance of concrete trees- it was a rather impressive zoo, with a wide range of animals scattered throughout the beautifully landscaped forest. One of the most intriguing aspects of the zoo was the use of hand-painted signs to identify animals. With their bold colors and dramatic lettering, they made even the penguins look like stars in an action movie.

Ho Chi Minh coconut stand.

Unfortunately, I have nowhere nearly enough photos of Ho Chi Minh City to start a 'colors of HCMC' series. Shame, because the city certainly deserves one. The entire city was dripping with beautiful color, like in the milky greens and blues of the alley cafes. The palettes of the city's old buildings were particularly lush, part of a style of bold colors and ornate ornamentation that is apparently referred to as Tropical Baroque. I found it interesting to see the same design principals brought out at this street side coconut stand, where patrons could sit on electric-blue seats around a patterned red-table.

Dashboard offerings.

At an informal station near the Ayutthaya market, Bordeaux and I encountered several rows of brightly painted metal buses. They were left abandoned, doors open, waiting to be explored. On the dashboards of each bus were a bright array of offerings; plastic garlands, fresh fruit, and luridly painted ceramic gods.

The Ethnographer's Messenger Bag.

The ethnographer lives in two worlds; he divides his time between academia, and life in the field. This valise, designed for me by Bordeaux, is versatile enough to fit both. The exterior is a serious brown suiting, while the interior reveals a bold exotic stripe. It's designed vertically, so that notebooks can be quickly grabbed from the divided interior. Though it has a stylishly thin silhouette, it's wide enough to hold my camera and a few choice paperback ethnographies. It even has a special slim pocket on the back, perfect for holding airplane tickets or folded maps. View more photos and read more about it at his blog.

Curious finds at a Bangkok antique market.

Bangkok certainly has no shortage of markets. There is the Khlong Toei market, selling fresh fish, meat and produce; the Suan Lum night bazaar, offering hip t-shirts and generic souvenirs; the Chatuchak weekend market, selling practically every dry good imaginable; and countless smaller markets, selling cut flowers, sewing supplies, illegal DVDs, and knockoff Levi jeans. Last weekend, Bordeaux and I visited one of the strangest markets yet. We were headed out to Chatuchack, but rather than getting off at the station closest to the entrance, we disembarked early at Saphan Kwai. Along the sidewalks of Paholyothin Road between Saphan Kwai and Chatuchak are a string of vendor's stands. Antiques and Buddhist amulets were the main goods on offer, but there was also cheap clothing, vintage Thai movie posters, and funky retro furnishings.

There were a few very intriguing finds among the cluttered card tables and blankets. We very nearly bought a set of 6 retro blue mugs, but couldn't justify having to buy the entire set. Bordeaux tried on bizarre sunglasses, which were both to funky and too expensive. And while I was browsing among a table of antiques, Bordeaux picked up and began playing with a strange toy camera. I was shocked when I saw it- I had the same Fisher-Price camera when I was a kid! In fact, I had the exact tape that was in the camera- Disney's 'Lonely Ghosts'. By closing one eye and winding the red dial on the side, you can watch cartoons in choppy animation.

But the best find (and the only one I took home) was this rather unusual vintage postcard. I found it among a pile of antique photos and postcards. It is undated, but states that it was 'Made in Japan', and features the English caption: "Alligator Hunting." At best I can surmise that the image depicts an event that took place in Africa, and that they are actually hunting crocodiles. I loved the faded hues of the image, the romanticized African setting, and the strangely monstrous depiction of the crocodiles (I have a fondness for river monsters). I imagine it will look rather handsome framed, on a bookcase or in a study.

The Bangkok Commuter's Bag.

Though most people complain about the labor of commuting in Bangkok, one of my favorite things about the city is that there are so many ways to get from here to there. There are buses and cabs, skytrains and subways, and boats and ferries plying the city's waterways. Last week, Bordeaux finished work on an impressive new messenger bag. He had designed it for use in his regular commute; in addition to pockets for his ipod and his phone, it has a special long pocket to hold the Bangkok Post. So in order to show it off on his blog, I took photos of him all around Bangkok, using it on the BTS skytrain, the MRT subway, and the Chao Phraya riverboats.

An October love-note.

Last week I bought a set of watercolors at a small art store in Banglamphu. In college, I was always working on at least one art project, spending hours in the painting studio or the sculpture shop, or working on illustrations in the drawing room. I especially miss doing that around Autumn; I have great memories of taking a break from the studio, the smell of paint thinner clinging to my t-shirt, and crossing the lawn of dead leaves on the way to the campus cafe to get a coffee to refuel. While it would be impractical to work on any large scale oils during my time in Bangkok, water colors provide an art form more suitable for nomad living. I'd really like to do a watercolor for Halloween, to send out as cards to family and friends back home. I've never really worked with water colors though, so it's proving a bit of a challenge. My first effort, a deep green Thai pumpkin with pale yellow flesh, came out pretty muddy. By the time I'm able to paint something worth sending home, Halloween will likely have passed.

I can't imagine anything more likely to rekindle the feelings of Halloween than a little craft-time. My earliest memory of the season was of planning a Halloween party while in Kindergarten. My mother drove me out to a small stationary store on the other side of town, where I was to pick up supplies to make invitations. After a few diversions along the way, like admiring the changing leaves along the Rio Grande and stopping outside a farm to look at their Bison, we made it to the shop. In my memory it was a sweet little book and stationary store, but in reality it was probably in a strip mall. I selected several sheets of Mrs Grossman's stickers, featuring grinning jack-o-lanterns (like above) and tiny black bats.

While my taste might no longer run toward Mrs Grossman's, I still think sending some Halloween correspondence seems like a good way to inaugurate the season. I found the above card from EmptyGeorge at Etsy; I think it nicely combines some classic creepiness with a nice touch of style- and I like seeing something for Halloween that isn't just in orange. However, if you feel like making your own cards, it might be fun to get some colored paper and a few rubber stamps. The eerie stamp below comes from Alpha Stamps' website, which offers a number of Halloween designs, including a few inspired by Mexican artist Posada. If my watercolor skills don't improve soon, I may have to order one myself.

Papaya soap.

One of my favorite things about living in Bangkok is the abundance of fresh, delicious, inexpensive tropical fruit. Lately I've really grown addicted to the flavor of papaya in my morning muesli. So it's no wonder that I was drawn to this Likas Papaya soap. Bordeaux pointed it out to me today, as we glanced over a sidewalk table of toiletries in Banglamphu. The hot, retro graphics on the bright orange packaging only further sold me. It even smelled good! Now, if only it wasn't a skin whitening soap...

Darkie Flamingo.

Oh, but before I return to Bangkok completely... one last animal inspired piece by a South African Designer. Darkie is one of the coolest clothing labels in South Africa; it always has a great mix of colors, and playfully Afrocentric graphics. Two of my favorite pieces of clothing that I own are from Darkie: the orange and brown afro tank that I likely wear way too often, and a retro green, brown, and orange track-jacket that I regrettably left in the states. I saw these flamingo dresses when I was in Johannesburg in December- sadly, he didn't make flamingo pieces for men. Maybe a marabou could be a nice male equivalent?

You should definitely check out Darkie's website, to see his collections. The site has a great look, with a nice mix of colors and textures- I especially love the photo on the homepage.